


Strays

by Star_Madison



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen, M/M, hinted child abuse, potential trigger warnings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2016-06-21
Packaged: 2018-07-16 12:11:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7267594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_Madison/pseuds/Star_Madison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU. Iron Bull wakes up one night to the sound of people in his bakery. What he finds uproots his orderly and quiet existence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strays

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another fic where Iron Bull runs a bakery.

The air smelled wrong. Sharp, acidic. The hint of unwashed bodies underlying the scent of cheap beer. Sounds reached his senses next, hushed whispers, the shuffle of feet on concrete flooring. Heaving himself up out of his battered armchair, the huge Qunari moved silently from the apartment above the bakery, pausing at the bottom of the stairs, hidden from the people inside his business. Five teenagers by the still breaking voices, hinting at how they were just getting through puberty. 

 

Opening the door slowly, Iron Bull eased himself forward, eye sweeping the shadowy alleyway, spotting the back door cracked open, allowing the voices to reach him clearer. Stepping off the stairs, he moved towards the door, opening it slowly in case one of the teenagers were close to the door. The sight that came into view had something tightening inside of him. Stepping inside the bakery, he knew that they’d soon spot him and panic. 

 

Creeping through the darkened bakery, Iron Bull left the door open partially, coming at them from the side. His hand landed heavily on one of the teens, the other four rearing backwards and three scattering instantly, the fourth standing his ground despite the shaking Bull could see. Grunting in surprise when an elbow, sharp and pointy, what the fuck were people feeding kids? jammed itself into his belly. But he didn’t release his grip, holding on firmly to the too thin shoulder, feeling bone under muscle. Eyeing the shaking yet defiant black teenager for a moment, Bull dropped his gaze to the one he had a grip on. A pair of amber eyes staring defiantly back up at him, he had to grin at the lack of fear. “Well. What am I going to do with you two?”

 

A sweep of the kitchen told him that the safe hadn’t been found, the door to his office open but he never kept the safe there. Turning back to the two, Bull released the young man, watching as he immediately planted himself between Bull and the other teen. So a protector, huh. His grin widened a bit, then dimmed as he noticed an odd shape under the boy’s shirt. Ignoring it for the moment, Bull focused on the immediate task of deciding what to do with them. A smug of icing at the corner of the darker boy’s mouth had him looking towards the front, seeing through the door one of the display cases had been opened. 

 

“We’re juveniles and only broke in and stole food. No money was taken and nothing damaged,” growled the brunette, his arms folded across his chest, the very definition of stubbornness. “The law won’t prosecute us heavily. Few months in a detention center at most. More likely community service.” 

 

Iron Bull was impressed. This kid knew the law better than many adults. Humming to himself, he made a decision. “You both come work for me.”

 

“What’s in it for us?” The still unnamed boy demanded, amber eyes locked onto Bull’s sole eye. 

 

“Krem, don’t piss off the big Qunari!” The other boy finally spoke, his voice a hiss, hands gripping the other’s arm.

 

“He won’t do nothing,” Krem, and Bull suddenly saw a whole host of nicknames he could call the boy by, his grin starting to grow. Laughing outright earned him an angry glare and a confused stare. 

 

Continuing to chuckle, he shrugged his shoulders. “What’s better, earning money and learning a skill or having to clear trash off the sides of roads?” Bull countered, “Krempuff.” The sound he received for the nickname had him grinning. “Your choice but better decide soon.” He watched them retreat to the other end of the kitchen, neither realizing he could hear them perfectly. 

 

“There’s a catch. There’s always a catch. We can’t trust him.” Krem’s voice floated through the darkness, all angry and hostile. Bull could see him moving, hearing the scuff of his sneakers on tile. Leaning his bulk against the stainless steel of the walk-in fridge, he waited. 

 

“How much worse can it be than the foster home, Krem?” the other boy’s voice was softer, sad. Frowning at the tidbit of information, he started to wonder what their story was. “We could save up money and leave.”

 

“That’s if he doesn’t find out and take it all,” Krem hissed. “You know how he is.” 

 

“Has he hurt you again? You need to stop pissing him off, Krem! It’s only going to keep getting worse!”

 

“He was being a creep again and I told the social worker. He didn’t like her taking the younger kids away but better I’m the one getting beaten then him putting his fists on them.” 

 

The words and their meaning sent a shock through Bull. Straightening his considerable bulk up, he growled, hearing the teens falling silent. “Offer changed. Got a spare room, you two can have it. Tomorrow, we’re going to pay a visit to your foster parents.” Not giving them the chance to protest, he turned and stalked from the bakery’s kitchen, expecting them to follow. Anger bubbled under the surface and he wanted to break the person who laid a hand on children. Taking a deep breathe, he heard the sounds of feet behind him, following him up the stairs to the apartment above. 

 

Once the two boys were shown the room, a pair of shirts some of his one night stands left behind given to them, he settled for baking up a storm over breaking something. Scaring the kids was the last thing he wanted to do. Krem and his still unnamed friend. He found his mind drifting to them constantly, turning over every thing he had noticed about them in his head, searching for any hint of sexual abuse.

 

When the alarm in his bedroom went off, Bull startled, head swinging in the direction of his bedroom. Glancing back towards the spare room, listening for any sign of movement. None came and he relaxed, finally noticing the amount of food he had baked. Snorting, he carefully laid it all out and headed for his bedroom, aiming for a few hours sleep. Pausing by the bedroom, he listened again, hearing only the sounds of breathing. Opening the door a cracked, Bull smiled at the sight; Krem sprawled on his back, the other boy clinging to him like he was a teddy bear. Chuckling softly, he shut the door and continued to his own room. Shutting it behind him, he sighed and rubbed at his face.

 

Fuck what was he going to do with a pair of teenagers?

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoy the fic. Not sure if this will be a stand-alone fic or multi-chapter. Depends on factors.


End file.
